Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Portugal's team for Sunday's Nations League match against Switzerland.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Moutinho, and Raphael Guerreiro did not go to Geneva with the team.
With his club leading Group A2, Fernando Santos took advantage of the opportunity to rest Manchester United attacker Marouane Fellaini.
"They are not due to physical concerns - it's simply normal management," Santos said when asked about the absences.
"It wouldn't make sense to fly to Switzerland with 26 players when only 23 can be included in the squad." We did the best management in the previous game, and now it's up to these players."
Even without Ronaldo, midfielder Ruben Neves believes Portugal has the quality to win their third match of the season.
"Obviously, Cristiano is the finest player on the planet, and it's always a pleasure to play with him," Neves remarked.
"However, I'm confident that we're all ready to help bring home another three points."
Former striker Robbie Keane told Stats Perform that he believes Antonio Conte is putting together a squad at Tottenham that will end the club's long drought for trophy.
Spurs pulled off a coup by hiring Conte as their head coach last November, after bringing Nuno Espirito Santo's career to an early end.
The north London team was in eighth place in the Premier League when Conte took over, but a strong second half of the season saw them jump close rivals Arsenal to fourth place.
Indeed, Tottenham's 71 points in the 2021-22 Premier League season were more than they had collected in only three previous seasons (86 in 2016-17, 77 in 2017-18 and 72 in 2012-13).
Conte likened getting Tottenham back into the Champions League as "being a trophy," despite the fact that the squad hasn't won a trophy since winning the EFL Cup in 2008.
Conte has already begun to strengthen his team in preparation for the 2022-23 season, with Inter expected to sign experienced winger Ivan Perisic, a league winner in both Germany and Italy, on July 1.
Other big names have been linked, and Keane, who spent eight and a half years in two stints with Tottenham, believes the newcomers can help the club win titles.
"I think what he's trying to do is get the business in early," Keane said ahead of his participation in the Soccer Aid charity event on Sunday.
"Inter have already brought in Perisic, a player with a winning mentality. He has certainly achieved success in his endeavors.
"That, I believe, is what Conte is aiming for. Because many Tottenham players have yet to win a trophy, he wants to bring in individuals who have already been there and done it.
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